Cosmetic container



0a. 13, 1953 CLAR 2,655,261

COSMETIC CONTAINER Filed Jan. 30, 1951 IN V EN TOR.

526,556,; JCZm' Patented Oct. 13, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COSMETIC CONTAINER Stephen J. Clark, Cheshire, Conn.

Application January 30, 1951, Serial No. 208,577

Claims. 1

- This invention relates to cosmetic holders and particularly to those of the character used for containing lip rouge, eye-brow pencils or other cosmetics or similar materials of the kind usually sold in stick form, and provided with means by which the cosmetic material is advanced out of or retracted within the holder as required by the user.

An object of the invention is to provide a holder of this character of simplified construction, which may have a substantial number of its parts composed of plastic materials and which may be readily assembled at a minimum of manufacturing cost.

More particularly, the invention contemplates the provision of a tubular casing open at its forward end and closed at its rear end by a rotatable head, said head being in engagement with one end of a helical coil spring having its opposite end attached to a cosmetic cup that is rotatively and axially movable through the casing, said spring fitting into a spiral groove formed in the inner wall surfaces of the casing. This arrangement is such that rotative movement of the head will cause the spring to be advanced or retracted through the spiral groove and the cup attached to said spring, advanced or retracted accordingly.

These and other objects to be hereinafter set forth are attained by the construction to be described and more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein an illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown, Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through a cosmetic or lip-stick holder constructed in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the casing of the holder; Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the plug member of the operating element; Fig. 4 is a top plan view of said plug member; Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of the cosmetic cup; Fig. 6 is a view looking at the rear end of the cosmetic cup; Fig. '7 is an elevational view of the holder and the closure cap therefor; Fig. 8 is a top plan view of a sleeve formingpart of the propelling unit, and Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawing, indicates the body of the casing of the cosmetic holder. The same is of tubular form and is preferably, but not necessarily, composed of a suitable plastic material and is formed on its inner wall surface with a continuous spiral groove as indicated at 6. The casing I has a forward open end 2, out of which the cosmetic material or lipstick indicated at ll,

is adapted to be projected in position for application to the lips or face of the user.

Surrounding the rear end 3 of the casing is an enlargedannular portion 4 forming at one end an annular shoulder 5. Rotatively fitted over this enlarged portion 4 is a sleeve 1 formed at one end with an inturned annular flange 8 which takes over the shoulder 5 of the casing. Fitted within the sleeve 1 and secured thereto by adhesive or other means, i a plug member 5 shown in detail in Figs. 3 and 4. Said plug member includes an annular flange l8 which abuts against one end of the sleeve 1, and an annular wall #9 which fits within the sleeve I and may be secured thereto. Located centrally of the member 9 is a frustro-conical extension I0 which is transversely split as indicated at H. The sleeve '1 and the member 9 secured thereto comprise a propelling or operating unit rotatively mounted on the rear end of the casing l. The engagement of the flange 8 with the shoulder 5 prevents axial removal of the unit from off the end of the casing.

The cosmetic material [1 in stick form is fitted into a cup I4 which may also be made of plastic material if desired. Said cup includes a rearward reduced-diameter extension I5, provided with a transverse aperture I6.

Located within the casing I, between the rear of the cosmetic cup l4 and the plug member 9. is a wire compressible coil spring or helix l2. Said helix or coil spring I2 is arranged to fit in and travel through the spiral groove 5 on the inside of the casing. That is to say, when the spring 12 is rotatively moved it will be advanced or retracted through the spiral groove 6 according to the direction of rotation of the spring. The spring has one end attached to the rear end of the cosmetic cup M by having a transverse leg or end 20 extended through the transverse aperture H3 at the back of the cup. At its opposite end, the spring has a transverse leg I3 disposed in the slot or split H of the plug member 9.

From the foregoing, the operation of the improved cosmetic cup will be readily understood. The propelling or operating unit, consisting of the sleeve 1 and plug member 9 secured together, is rotatable on the rear end of the casing I. When this unit is manually rotated between the fingers, the spring or helix I2 is caused to be rotated and it will follow the spiral groove 6. Since the forward end 20 of the spring is attached to the cosmetic cup l4, it follows that said cup I 4 will be rotatively as well as axially moved through the casing to thus advance it toward the open end 2 or else retract it within the casing according to the direction of rotational movement imparted to the propelling unit. In view of the fact that the end 13 of the spring or helix is disposed in a transverse slot ll of considerable depth, this end of the spring or helix can move upwardly and freely in said slot as the spring travels toward the forward end of the casing. It will be noted that the two sections of the plug portion N are tapered 'or rounded off as indicated at 22 and 23 permitting a ready disengagement of the slot from the end of the spring when the end of travel of the spring in the spiral slot is reached and the leg 13 is then located at the open end of the slot II, and also permitting a re-engagement of the end of the spring when rotative movement in an opposite direction is imparted to the propelling head. The portion of the spring that is located to the rear of the thread is, of course, compressed when the spring is retracted, the compressibility of the spring permitting this compressing action.

The casing may be closed by a closure cap 24 of conventional construction, and which may be also of plastic material, if desired, or it can be of metal.

While I have shown, for the purpose of simplicity in illustration, the thread 6 of single form, it will be apparent that this thread may be of double formation or varied in other ways. In fact, when a double thread is employed certain advantages may be obtained. The employment of a shorter spring which will disengage itself entirely from the slot ii at the farthest point of propulsion to make a stop is also an advantage. Such disengaging action allows the cosmetic cup to be thrust upwardly an additional amount of space and elevation of the cup is done partially by the spring expanding and by going up through the spiral groove, and partially by rising in the button slot.

ihe structure of the improved cosmetic holder is simple; it is easily assembled, and allparts, with the exception of the spring or helix may be made of non-metallic material and in colors, presenting not only an effective and economically-made device, but an attractive one as well.

Having described one embodiment of the invention, it is obvious that the same is not to he restricted thereto, but is broad enough to cover all structures coming within the scope of the annexed claims.

What I claim is:

l. A cosmetic holder comprising a tubular casing of plastic material provided on its interior for the greater part of its length. with a continuous spiral groove, a cosmetic cup located in the casing and capable of rotative and advancing and retracting movement therein, a spiral coil spring within the casing, a rotative operatin head on the rear end of the casing, one end of the coil spring being attached at the rear end of the cosmetic cup, the portion of the spring adjacent to said end being in constant engagement with the spiral groove, the operating head having a transverse slot, the second end of the spring engaging therewith whereby rotation of the head will cause the spring to move through the spiral groove in the casing and advance or retract the cosmetic cup.

2. A cosmetic holder comprising a tubular cas-- ing open at one end and closed. at its opposite 4 end by a rotatable operating member, the inner surface of the casing beng formed with a lengthy and continuous spiral groove, a cosmetic cup within the casing and rotatively and axially movable therein, a helical, compressible wire coil spring located in the casing between the operating member and the cup, said spring being disposed in and movable spirally through the groove, the greater portion of said spring being engaged with the spiral groove when the cu is moved to its advanced position, the cup having an aperture in its bottom engaged by one end of the spring, the operating member having a split plug portion entering into the casing, and the second end of the spring engaging in the split in said plug portion.

. 3. A. cosmetic holder comprising, a tubular container having a front open end, a rotatable operating'member on its rear end, the container having a lengthy internal spiral groove, a cosmetic cup movably mounted within the container, a helix in the form of a compressible spiral coil spring-engaging the lengthy groove and positioned in the container between the cosmetic cup and the operating'member, said helix having one end in engagement with the cosmetic cup and its other end in engagement with the operating member, the helix being operative for the greater part of its length within the spiral groove.

4. A cosmetic holder comprising, a tubular casing having an internal spiral groove formed in its inner wall surface for the greater part of the length of the casing, a spiral spring located within the casing and movable'forwardly and backwardly in said groove, a cosmetic cup located within the casing and secured to one end of the spring, a rotatable operating head mounted on the rear end of the casing and coupled to the second end of the spring whereby rotative movement of the head causes advancing or retracting movement of the spring and the cosmetic cup attached thereto.

5. A cosmetic holder comprising, a tubular casing having a front open end, a rotatable operating member mounted on the rear end of the open end of the same, the inner wall of the casing being provided with a spiral groove extending for the greater length of the casing. a helix in the form of a spiral coillocated in the casing and mounted for rotative movement within the spiral groove, one end of the spiral. coil being attached to the cup, the second end of the spiral coil being located in the slot in the operating member and being capable of movement into and out of said slot, said spiral coil following the grooveand having its greater length retained therein as the operating member is rotated.

STEPHEN J. CLARK.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,319,264 Barnes Oct. 21, 1919 2,209,849 Seguin July 30, 1940 2,460,299 Kruck Feb. 1, 1940 2,491,722 I Gel'ardin Dec. 20, 1949 2,491,723 Gelardin Dec. 20, 1949 

